Redefining perception with a line
When the ordinary becomes the ethereal. When our perceptions of the
acceptable are thrown off course. When beauty surpasses function, only
to become functional again. To be reborn, in imagination and reality.
Jårg Geismars artwork brings to mind all of the above. By administering
elements from the everyday, whether the day occurs in the East, West,
North or South, and gives it new meaning in such a subtle way, as to
make us, the viewer/participant, rethink not only the vision before us
but our understanding of the order and processes of the small things we
have taken for granted.
Whether a line becomes a string, to divide space and therefore time. To
suspend, to pull, to stress, this very same line redefines itself, and
us, over and over in each artwork. It can appear as the negative versus
the positive, first as cutouts, remaking itself as a solid in line
drawings. The connection between the elements within each artwork, are
revalidated in the next piece, and the next, and so on.
By reinventing the commonplace, but nevertheless holding on to a sense
of its original purpose or identity, a historical element is not just
introduced but is a constant in the work. Looking at the photos, the
memory of the ”Spirit 104” - an installation of 10 000 golden bells from
Thailand, suspended by yellow ribbon and steel wire in the inner
open-air garden of Hallwylska Palace — created for the Arkipelag project
for Stockholm Culture Capital of Europe, 1998. Then the memory of the
small delicate chimes enters into the scene. The motion, the glistening,
the strangeness, the beauty, all come together before the faint but
distinct feeling of another sensation arises. The sound of barking, at a
distance re-enters the picture.
Joy compounded with a sense of imbalance is one way to describe the
emotional platitudes that were experienced during the observation of
that very special installation. Seeing other artworks by Jårg Geismar,
some in actuality, others only in reproduction, again brings to mind the
special experiences of the ”Spirit 104” project. By taking a new look at
what we can really see around us, and bringing that into a different
perspective is what gives Geismars art a power that is truly poetic in
nature. By not thinking about what it is, but what it can be, liberates
us, the viewer, to reach within our own emotional and visual history to
bring these artworks to a plane necessary when viewing art.
What is evident throughout an oeuvre of an artist, is the level of
honesty portrayed in his artwork. The non questioning of the artists
intentions, towards himself, towards the art, and finally towards the
public, can be seen as a declaration of his personal integrity. To
follow this inner rhythm allows for an artistic output that can be felt
by the viewer, without doubt. Jårg Geismar continually lives up to his
”oath” as an artist. A teller of truth to himself via the medium of
visual expression, he gives his audience a name, face, sight, or sound
to their own insights of the very same truths. To uphold this as an
artist, is not an easy endeavor. To sway from the path of individually
of identity, to seek acceptance by allowing the outside, rather than the
inside steer the artistic vision is a simpler road. But the evidence is
always present. The creative process, resulting in a creation can be the
only proof. It is here, it can be said that Jårg Geismar, artist, and
his artwork, hold onto the notion of integrity and honesty that is of
the highest level. This is evident in his dialogue with his
identification as an artist, the process of making art, and the artworks
themselves.
David Neuman
Stockholm, Sweden 2000
David Neuman is the founding director of Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall.